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Indian Horse Novel: The Importance of Indigenous Culture
Indian Horse, written by Richard Wagamese, takes place in the early 1960s and focuses
on the life of a boy name Saul Indian Horse, a victim of the tragedy of the Canadian Indigenous
Residential Schools. Throughout the novel, the reader is exposed to the suffering and trauma
imposed on innocent children at these institutions. As we follow Saul’s journey, the author
uncovers the supernatural and spiritual reality of Indigenous culture, and how the culture relies
on its past and present bodies for direction. In this essay, I will explore the importance of
Ojibway culture, First Nation families, and ancestral lands in Saul’s life, and how these
embodiments of his culture help guide him through the hardships of his life.
In the beginning of the novel, Saul endures the catastrophe that is St. Jerome’s
Residential School, where he witnesses the heinous crimes and tragedy of torture, torment, and
suicide, “I read once that there are holes in the universe that swallow all light, all bodies, St.
Jerome’s took all the light from the world,” (Wagamese, 2012, p. 43). On many occasions during
his time at school, Saul looks for comfort amongst his peers, as the culture around him brings
him back to the peaceful days of living in his Ojibway tribe. Although the Residential School
system was hell-like, and many kids could be hostile to others, Saul was able to find a sense of
tranquility in his peers, as his fellow classmates found strength within each other. The kids kept
their heritage alive in the school in any way possible, speaking their language when nobody was
around and sneaking off when they could to fish in the river or prey in the barns. They realized
they are all cut from the same piece of cloth, and they were all there because they all shared the
same beliefs.
As Saul grew older at St. Jerome’s, he found his calling in the game of hockey. Father
Gaston Leboutilier was a young priest who possessed a sense of humour and kindness unlike
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most other teachers at the school. Leboutilier introduced Saul to the game of hockey and became
his mentor and number-one fan. Eventually, as Saul’s natural talent was discovered, he was
given the opportunity to leave St. Jerome’s and play on a real team consisting solely of
Indigenous boys. Fred Kelly led the team called Moose, and Saul was brought into their familiar,
First Nation household. Saul felt at home there, with his sibling’s past on, parents abandoned and
grandparents living in spirit, he felt like he had new community, a new tribe. After showing his
raw talent for the game of hockey and leading the team to countless victories, Saul felt accepted
into the group, “When I sat down under the bench and sat up to peel my jersey off, they raised
their own bottles to me and silently drank…I was a Moose,” (Wagamese, 2012, p. 107).
Saul’s journey from here was mostly downhill. As Saul led the Moose to success, the
fame and recognition was not healthy for an Indigenous team playing a supposed ‘white-man’s
sport’. Every game was filled with fans cursing their names and poking fun at Saul specifically.
It becomes nearly impossible to ignore these remarks at such a high volume. “I started to see a
line in every arena we played in. It showed itself a stretch of empty seats that separated the
Indian fans from the white ones,” (Wagamese, 2012, p. 137). Eventually, Saul’s talent was
appreciated enough to where he made it to the big leagues, a farm team for the Toronto Maple
Leafs. However, Saul’s passion for the game was outweighed by the pressure to retaliate on the
racism he endured every game. He couldn’t tolerate the hatred he received for having brown
skin, even though he was clearly the best on the ice. Quickly, Saul realized he had no place in the
high-rank leagues, riddled with racist English Canadians who couldn’t stand an Indian being
better at their game, so he returned back to the comfort of his people in Manitouwadge, where he
felt at home.
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The reader learns near the end of the novel that Saul did not solely play hockey because
of his passion or the game, but rather used it as a method of escape. Saul’s old mentor
Leboutilier was not a saint after all, as he was responsible for the majority of Saul’s
psychological trauma later in his life. Leboutilier would consistently abuse Saul both sexually
and mentally, he bought Saul’s silence with allowing him to play hockey with the other boys,
Saul was hypnotized, “I used the game to shelter me from the truth, from having to face it every
day…the game kept me from remembering,” (Wagamese, 2012, p. 199).
Dealing with this magnitude of trauma, Saul reached the lowest point in his life, and at
times, near death, but what ultimately kept him grounded in the one thing he believed in, the one
thing he knew wouldn’t change, and that’s his heritage, his last name, who and what he came
from. After coming to the realization of his troubles, Saul returned to where he felt safest, and
closest to his family – God’s Lake, “ When I stepped out onto the western edge of the lake and
looked across it, it was as though I had never left,” Saul says, “...every step closer to our old
family campsite transported me further back…my thoughts cleared. I walked in peace…”
(Wagamese, 2012, p. 204). This ancestral land held critical significance in Saul’s life, it is where
his last memories of his family were, and that meant the most to him. Saul describes here when
he closes his eyes, he is able to see his whole family, in the canoes they once used to travel here
before, “My people” he describes them. Saul sees the original leader of his tribe, his grandfather,
Shabogeesick, who tells him to “carry this place within you. This place of beginning and
endings,” (Wagamese, 2012, p. 205). This is a powerful quote to the reader, as it exemplifies the
literal beginning of Saul’s life, but more importantly, the psychological ending of his suffering.
This is where he is meant to let go of his sorrows and anger, the grudges he holds against St.
Jerome’s, this is his new beginning.
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Saul later returns to the New Dawn Centre, where he once seeks refuge away from his
troubles with alcohol, “The only thing that I had known for certain was that I had to backtrack to
revisit vital places from my early life, if I was ever going to understand how to live in the
present,” (Wagamese, 2012, p. 207). Saul learns to understand the importance of living in the
moment, and not relying on the past. Arguably, the most important stop he must make is back to
the Kelly’s home, where he feels most secure. As he returns, he opens up to his former family,
about the troubles of St. Jerome’s and the abuse he endured. This is where Saul learns that he is
not alone in his suffering, but rather a victim amongst many. Fred and Martha explain they are
also victims of similar abuse, and they resonate with his hurt and agony, but more importantly,
they tell him the trusted his healing process, that they didn’t interfere with journey because they
knew ultimately, he would end up back where he belonged, right in Manitouwadge.
Saul had a hard life, he was beaten, broken, abused and all at such a young age. For
some, that is an everlasting trauma, but Saul placed large significance in his heritage and his
people, and his spiritual connection to his past Ojibway tribe. His natural connection to the Kelly
family helped him overcome his troubles, forming a new path for his future, and helping him
cope with the trials and tribulations he faced. In conclusion, Ojibway culture, ancestral lands, and
First Nation families and communities played a monuments role in Saul’s life, healing a once
broken man and molding him into someone forgiving, insightful and ambitious for his future.
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